A Child with a Parent Serving a Prison Sentence and its Impact on the School Environment

The school environment is where a child spends the second most amount of time (after the family environment). Leskova (2018, p. 52) claims that “the school and the school environment also play an irreplaceable role in the formation of a child.” Professional authors are largely inclined to claim that having a parent in VTOS has a negative impact on a child’s school results. „The stress caused by a parent being in prison or in VTOS can affect a child’s school performance. Strong emotions and the actions associated with them can result in problems in the classroom and social isolation“ (Children of Incarcerated Parents Toolkit, 2022, p. 6). This problem is then the subject of social work, and as Planka et al. (2024, p. 1) state, we use the means of social policy in the school system, which leads “by providing for the social needs of the population and creating conditions for improving the living conditions of individuals and groups.” Having a parent VTOS can affect the child in several areas: l Mental health. The child loses physical contact with the parent, which can be reflected on the psychological side of the individual. Children may experience different feelings such as guilt and sadness. As a result, mental problems in the form of depression and anxiety are created. l Social relations. These relationships can be influenced by the family environment as well as the school environment. In the family environment, the whole family suffers and the child can sense instability in the home environment. Discrimination and ridicule from classmates can occur at school l School achievements. The previous two areas can affect the school area. The family situation can lead to absence from school or failure to fulfill school duties. According to Slavin (2000, In: Mcmahon, 2002, p. 5 ), “children with incarcerated parents are at increased risk of poor school performance, dropping out of school, gang involvement, early pregnancy and drug abuse.” In some cases, the departure of a parent to VTOS can have the opposite, i.e., positive effect on the child. Some children, as well as families, are relieved after the departure of a parent or family member to VTOS. However, as Planka and colleagues (2024, p. 119) point out, whether the situation has improved or deteriorated after the parent’s departure, there must always be communication between the child, the family and the parent in VTOS. “Communication as a process of mutual understanding plays a huge role in all aspects of life - private life, the work environment and interpersonal relationships.” Matejkowski, Johnson and Severson (2014, [cit. 2024-05-22]) add that this fact can also leave children with clinical problems, such as depression and anxiety, problems with attention, disruptive behavior, poor results at school, disruption at home and a reduced likelihood of dealing with anxiety and stress in the future.